Entities that produce television signals must ensure that the signals are produced reliably and with sufficient quality. Failure to do so results in a loss of revenue and possibly the imposition of fines by the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”). Currently television signals can be monitored at various points along a transmission path using a multiview monitoring system provided by manufacturers such as Evertz Microsystems, Ltd. These systems use a patch panel and a screen that displays video images. The video signals at various points along the transmission path are fed to the patch panel and then video images corresponding to the patch panel inputs are displayed. As shown in FIG. 1, the display may include a number of video images on a single screen.
If a problem occurs with the television signal, then the display is consulted to recognize the problem and/or begin debugging the problem. In addition to the display, a schematic of the transmission system is used to identify the device or subsystem that is causing the problem. Because the schematic is separate from the display, it can take several minutes to locate the schematic and then to identify the devices or subsystems that correspond to the problem. In the television industry, every second counts since a problem with a television signal can result in a loss of revenue or a fine based on the duration of the problem.
Another disadvantage of maintaining the schematic separate from the display of the video images is that the relationships between the devices or subsystems is not readily apparent. Sometimes the approach taken to address one problem can create additional, unintended problems For example, if there is a problem with the transmission of an advertisement, it is possible that the way in which the problem is addressed could inadvertently impact closed captioning. Thus, a problem that could have been limited to the transmission of an advertisement may not be addressed properly and can negatively impact other functions, such as the generation of closed captioning.
Another prior art solution is an alarm system that monitors video signals and generates an alarm when an error is detected. One disadvantage of an alarm system is that the amount and type of information provided is typically limited and may only indicate that there is a serious problem. For example, an alarm may be generated when there is no signal present, but may not be generated when the quality of the signal degrades.
Thus, there is a need for a system and method for integrating video image data with information about the transmission system so that problems can be more easily recognized and more efficiently corrected.